What No One Will Tell You about DIY Publicity, But What You Really Need to Know
By Guest writer Christopher Buttner, President, PRThatRocks.com

In my last article, I gave you my top ten DIY publicity tips for bands.

In this, my long – yet fashionably – overdue (as the lovely and talented Mr. Michael Brandvold keeps reminding me), follow-up, I am going to give you some pertinent advice that, I believe, is the most appropriate addendum to my Top Ten DIY Publicity Tips for Bands list… But, this is only 5 of what will be 15 tips…

What No One Will Tell You about DIY Publicity, But What You Really Need to Know – Tips 1 through 5:

1. Your Breath – brush your teeth, use breath mints, floss, use mouthwash, and get a supply of those really great disposable tooth brushes made by Crest… Don’t smoke, drink coffee, or eat onions when you’re about to go face-to-face with a reporter or editor.

What are you, a dental hygienist, Buttner?  Let’s be real:  First impressions mean everything and bad breath, and body odor (and yes, I have war stories on the latter), are a sure way to cut any opportunity with a reporter short, leaving a very bad impression with that person.

I’m neurotic about my breath… must have been from all those years being subjected to commuting on the subway when I lived in New York during my 20’s… A million people must have breathed their meals on me over a decade, in where some of them actually felt like they were sticking to the roof of my mouth.

I’ve also worked a million trade shows.  When people are traveling (okay, think “touring musician” here), sometimes dental hygiene has a tendency to start lacking after the tour starts or if you’re on the road for a prolonged period of time (like the start of day two).

Plus you’re eating all kinds of crappy convention center or fast food on-the-fly and you were out late drinking and smoking cigars last night and you got up late this morning.

Not only did you forgot to floss and brush your teeth last night, you’re forgetting to do so in the morning, but now you’re running late to 16 30-minute press appointments scheduled for the day.

You’ve guessed it… the analogy?  A day’s worth of bad dental hygiene smells like you’ve been on the road for a month without brushing.  Be happy there’s not a ‘scratch-n-sniff’ plug-in for this blog of I’d really be driving the point home right now.

2. Don’t be a jerk – it’s all about developing long-term POSITIVE relationships with all media contacts.

Journalists and reporters can be jerks to you, but you can’t and never will be a jerk to them.  That’s an order.  Never take anything personally.  Just let it go.  I have been respectful to some of the most condescending and obnoxious journalists for years.  For some reason, a journalist might not like you or your band, but they A) won’t be in that position forever or B) you just might hit them at the right time with the right story and endear yourself to them for life.

As it’s said in professional sales; the most loyal customer is always derived from the most hard ass, negative prospect that resists you and your efforts with the most objections.

If you burn a bridge with a journalist, you’ve essentially burned your bridge with that media outlet, especially if that outlet only has one music journalist on staff.  You have to continually go back to that well every time you have a new story lead, and if you’re disrespectful, contentious, and combative – or simply “on the outs” with a journalist, you’re dead in the water.

If you’re really having a hard time with a journalist and you can’t seem to make headway with them, make the investment and offer to take them out to a business lunch as a means of formal and professional introduction to discuss your band, clients and company services and how you can be an asset to his role with the outlet.  That should work.  A journalist’s favorite food is my favorite, as well; FREE.

3. Be honest and respectful to clients, editors, fans… everyone.

In this era of YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and – if you have any notoriety at all – TMZ, you’re only that nice, warm and fuzzy, ‘I bet he loves baskets full of puppies’ persona until some damning bit of video footage of you acting like total, drunk dickhead to a girlfriend, fan, manager, service worker, basket full of puppies, etc., emerges… next month, in the fall, or in three years.  And then it goes viral in a day.

If you’re in the public eye, and in front of a crowd, you have to be consciously respectful of everyone… and this is a hard one if the credo of your line of work is “Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll.”

Remember: The Internet Never Forgets.

4. Therefore, be polite.  Say thank you… a lot, and keep a positive attitude always.

Here’s a few tips for dealing with, not just a journalist, but any professional or acquaintance that can move your career forward. Say “Thank You”, “Please,” “May I,” and it’s amazing how far simply, honestly and respectfully calling a journalist “Ma’am” or “Sir” – especially if they are older than you – will get you.  Politeness is a lost art.

When you get a writer, editor, or a reporter on the phone, ask permission: “Do you have a minute to talk?”

Do you know how infrequently stressed-out and deadline-crunched journalists get this question?  Never.  Therefore, 9-out-of-10 times it’s the consummate decompression question that gets you the ‘pitch time’ you so desperately want.  If it can work for me on David Fricke at Rolling Stone, it will work with you.

Respecting someone’s time is the most important ‘pay it forward’ bit of respect you can give to a potentially important professional you don’t know.

Be sincere, humble and consistent in your recognition and acknowledgments of others, and these little attention-to-detail tributes will pay out big dividends.

And when it comes to keeping a positive attitude, especially when you’ve done a crappy show, your girlfriend dumped you, or your guitar was stolen, and you still need to go face-to-face with a reporter: Shake if off.  Smile.  Get yourself into a frame of mind that this interview you’re about to do, or the call you’re about to make, is going to be big for you, be grateful for the opportunity, and exhibit that in the interview.  The interview is “Showtime, Baby.”  And, what?  That’s right: The show must go on.

5. When it comes to following up on press releases: No reply to three follow-up emails or voices messages in a week means the journalist is 99.9% not interested in your story.

Four, five and six follow-up messages in the same time frame… you’re a stalker.  There’s a fine line between being persistent and pestilent.

See you next month.

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For more http://www.prthatrocks.com or email Christopher Buttner at chris@prthatrocks.com

Founded in 1994 by Christopher Buttner, PRThatRocks.com is an award-winning publicity agency specializing in the representation of Indie to internationally-recognized and award-winning entertainers, composers and recording artists, national and regional concert tours and events, legendary recording studios, and some of the best-known entertainment technology and musical instrument brands in the world.